Renault Kwid concept review, test drive

Update: Renault Kwid 1.0 AMT review, test drive

 

So what you see above is Renault's show-stopper from the 2014 Auto Expo, the Kwid. Yes, it is a concept, so why is it here? Partly because Renault offered us a chance to drive its latest concept car and it would have been impolite to say "no, thank you", more so since we journalists from the Indian subcontinent have been given the chance before our European counterparts. Consider that concept cars are million-dollar one-offs that take several hundreds of hours of painstaking handcrafting – calling them hi-tech handicrafts wouldn't be far off the mark. But mainly it’s here because it’s not often that you get to drive a piece of the future.

 

 

Okay, we had other reasons to get to know the Kwid a little better. Staring straight at you, the Kwid impresses with its outrageous and adventurous character. Flip-up doors, large, 305/50 R16 tyres, a ‘Flying Companion’ (a remote control helicopter, in case you were wondering) in the back, cameras instead of rear-view mirrors, a central seating position and aircraft yoke-type steering wheel give it that necessary concept car appeal. But peel away the concept car extravagance and you'll see solid substance, something you could see maybe on future Renault compact SUVs. Slim headlamps that pop out at the corners, a chunky square form, wheels pushed out to the corners and the use of texturing to create a more feelsome look are some cues worth looking forward to. What adds to the seriousness of the Kwid is that it is a sub-four-metre car, and has been designed in collaboration with Renault's designers from India, Brazil and Russia. Two of those markets are Ford EcoSport hot spots.